71Hour Ahmed's Old Lady
by Roruna
Summary: Who was the lady that 71-Hour Ahmed trusted to care for Prince Khufurah during Jingo? Maybe it was his wife. Warning: may contain Jingo spoilers.


_Author's note: The idea for this one shot struck me rather randomly. I just thought it would be funny if the lady whom 71-Hour Ahmed trusted to care for Prince Khufurah was his wife. Actually the funny part is if this wife of his was like Sybil, a Lady Who Organizes and such. Well, enjoy the fic and please don't flame me too terribly. This is just for fun.  
_

_P.S. I don't own Discworld, I may own Fatima but that's probably pushing it._

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"_Getting better. He is being looked after by an old lady whom I trust."_

"_Your mother?"_

"_Ye gods no! My mother is a D'reg! She'd be terribly offended if I trusted her. She'd say she hadn't brought me up right."_

It was time to feed the salamanders. Fatima donned some gloves and a robe of thick fabric like the sort that is used for curtains to keep the sun completely out. She also donned some goggles with almost completely black lenses and then put on a hood made of the same fabric as the robe. Not one inch of skin was exposed. Fatima walked into the salamander pens and pulled back a large tarp that hung over the cages and kept out the sun. She turned over a small hourglass she always carried with her and stepped out of the salamander house. She heard the front door swing open and heavy footsteps. She was about to take the large curved sword that hung on one of the walls. Then she heard some muttered cursing in Morporkian.

She sighed and walked to the front room. 71-Hour Ahmed was carrying a large and heavy load over his back. It was very obviously a tall and somewhat heavy man. Ahmed put the man who Fatima recognized as Prince Khufurah on one of the plush and pillow covered couches. He took a step back when he saw Fatima who was still wearing her salamander breeder armor. "He was shot before the Convivium." Fatima nodded once quite genteelly. "Yes I heard, habibi." She removed the hood and goggles. Many years of exposure to salamander flashes had wrinkled her face prematurely while her hair which maybe had once been jet black was lightened into dark platinum. She patted her pockets a moment and then pulled out a handkerchief. She held it to Ahmed's mouth. "Spit." She commanded.

He obediently spit into the handkerchief and was grateful that the prince seemed to be unconscious while Ahmed was caught in this domestic moment. Fatima dutifully wiped some sand and dust that had collected in Ahmed's beard. "I really had hoped that this trip to Ankh-Morpork would be a nice holiday for you, habibi. You do so need the rest." Ahmed nodded a little. There were no holidays for coppers. Crime found coppers no matter where they went. "I'll need you to look after his Highness." Once Fatima was satisfied that Ahmed's face couldn't get much cleaner, she turned her attention to Prince Khufurah. She nodded solemnly. It wasn't that she minded looking after the prince but she knew Ahmed. He wasn't back. This was just a necessary stop.

"Of course, habibi." Ahmed nodded like a man who was getting back to business and he turned toward the door. He took three steps when he heard Fatima say, "Oh." He turned to look at her and waited. Fatima walked quickly to a small closet in the hallway between the front door and the sitting room where Prince Khufurah was currently resting. She took a long pale scarf out of the closet and wrapped it carefully around Ahmed, making sure it covered his nose and mouth. "There. Now you're fit keep the desert safe for us to travel." Ahmed's expression wasn't readily seen under the scarf but it was definitely one of awkward gratitude. "Er… Thank you, habibi."

Fatima brushed some dust off of Ahmed's coat. "You will try to be merciful, habibi?"

"Yes, habibi."

"What will you be?"

"Merciful, habibi."

"And do try to be brief."

"Yes, habibi."

"What will you try to be?"

"Brief, habibi."

"You're using your 'henpecked' voice, habibi."

"No, habibi."

Fatima put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. Ahmed allowed himself a chuckle. "All right, I'm sorry. I'll return soon. I promise." Fatima nodded and let Ahmed leave. She removed the rest of her salamander breeder armor and took a box of bandages and other medical supplies from the same closet she got the scarf from. She calmly cleaned and dressed the prince's wound and ordered the servants to very carefully move him into one of the guest rooms. Night eventually fell. She'd have to stay up the whole night keeping an eye on him. But it was going to be dull work, she hoped. She collected a couple of books, a box of letters, fresh paper, a pen and an ink well. She sat down a desk in the guest room and lit the oil lamp.

She opened one of the books. The pages seemed to consist primarily of lists of women's names. Occasionally, she'd pause at a certain name and cross reference that name with one of the letters in the box. She had a great deal many correspondences and it took careful organization to keep track of everyone. She'd read over one of the letters thought for a moment and then opened another book. On the cover of that book was written in curvy gold letters, _Quirm College for Young Ladies. _This book consisted primarily of iconographs of the students and teachers. She turned the pages quickly until she reached the R's. She muttered to herself, "Sybil… Sybil…" Her finger traveled the page until she reached the small iconograph of Sybil Ramkin.

Fatima smiled to herself as she read the autograph underneath.

_Fatima, I wish you much luck in your salamander breeding endeavor. I will miss you when you return to Klatch and I do hope you'll keep in touch. Feel free to call on me if you are ever in Ankh-Morpork. _

_Sybil_

For old time's sake, Fatima turned the pages of the Quirm College yearbook to the athletics and clubs section. Her eyes rested on the iconograph of the Swamp Dragon Breeder's Club. The girls in the iconograph were all sitting closely together while Brenda Rodley, the president of the club at the time, sat in the middle holding a very fat swamp dragon that Fatima remembered was called Stanley. All the girls were still dressed in their leather armor sans their helmets. Their hair was very frizzy and some of them had soot on their faces. In the iconograph, Fatima and Sybil were standing side by side with their arms around each other's shoulders in that traditionally 'best friends forever' pose seen in yearbooks all over the multiverse. Fatima closed the yearbook and after skimming Sybil's last Hogswatch letter. Fatima started to write.

_Dear Sybil, _

_It seems that the excitement and intrigue never ends in Ankh-Morpork, does it? One does not need crime novels when one receives your letters. You must be very proud of your Sam. I wish you many happy years together. Ahmed continues to be very busy, especially with this unpleasant Leshp business. I'm sure it is the same for your husband. Perhaps when this is all settled we could pay a brief social visit to you… _


End file.
